


The Water Fountain

by Jackyboy



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Iwaizumi really sucks at feelings, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Oblivious, Oblivious Iwaizumi Hajime, POV Iwaizumi Hajime, Pining Oikawa Tooru, Represssed Feelings, Slow Burn, Song fic, Swearing, more tags to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24244348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jackyboy/pseuds/Jackyboy
Summary: Based on 'Water Fountain' by Alec BenjaminIwaizumi Hajime never thought about love until he was fifteen and being confessed to by his best friend of ten yearsIwaizumi Hajime never thought about love again until he was seventeen watching his best friend of twelve years fall in love with someone else.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 2
Kudos: 47





	1. Innocence Isn't Bliss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And you don't love me either Tooru," Iwaizumi said, his voice soft and laced with unintentional sadness.

-  
Oikawa was standing across from him in an otherwise empty gymnasium. The rest of their team had left roughly five minutes beforehand, but Oikawa had insisted that Iwaizumi wait with him while he filled up his water bottle at the fountain. He had grumbled and told him to hurry or he'd leave him alone in the dark. It was an empty threat of course and Oikawa knew it as he just smiled and took his sweet time.

Oikawa was no longer smilining as he stared down at the waterbottle in his hand. His face now held an expression of fear. Other than the sound of the water slowly filling the orange bottle up, and the light humming sound from the fountain itself, the gym was silent as Iwaizumi stared at Oikawa. His eyes were slightly widened, mouth agape as he took in what his best friend of 10 years had just told him. 

"No you don't." Iwaizumi stated at last, breaking the silence. Oikawa finally looked up, meeting his gaze. For the first time since knowing him, Oikawa seemed truly nervous, but he was trying to mask it with a laugh.

"Iwa-chan I don't think you can tell me my own feelings, I do lo-" He was cut off by a shake of the others head, and Iwaizumi broke off their matched gaze. His hands were now clenched down at his sides as he closed his eyes.

"No Oikawa you don't. We're fifteen. You can think you do but you're too young to know that. I-I'm too young to know that," He took a deep breath, voice breaking at the end, but kept going before Oikawa could cut him off.

"You do this. Rush into things without thinking. Besides you have Sarah don't you?" Iwaizumi gripped the fountain with one hand now, still not looking at Oikawa. Sarah was a girl in their year who had a widely known crush on Oikawa. At this point she was practically head of the setter's fanclub. Iwaizumi figured the feelings were returned as he never saw Oikawa completely turn her down like all the other girls. 

How was he supposed to react to the boy he called his best friend confessing his love to him? Iwaizumi loved Oikawa like a needy puppy he had been forced to take care of. He cared about him and couldn't see a life without him. But he knew he was too young to think any of the things Oikawa was saying, too naïve. He knew Oikawa was too. 

"But I don't love Sarah, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa exclaimed, slamming his hand down on to the water fountain with a loud thud. That finally got Iwaizumi to look up, locking eyes with his friend. His teammate looked desperate as he stared at him and Iwaizumi hated the look on him. Still, he couldn't respond how Oikawa wanted him to.

"And you don't love me either Tooru," Iwaizumi said, his voice soft and laced with unintentional sadness. Oikawa looked taken aback by the softness of his voice. His mouth opened and closed again before the water fountain was hit again, a bit gentler this time.

"Damn it Hajime!" Oikawa yelled and Iwaizumi flinched at his given name being used, despite having just used the other's. He watched as Oikawa looked down at the ground again, breath coming out shaky as he closed his eyes lightly. A light laugh came out as Oikawa shook his head.

"Fine then. Guess I don't. Guess I'm too fucking stupid to know what I feel," He said. The water had been overflowing from the bottle for a while now, but Oikawa only just seemed to notice this as he snatched the bottle away and screwed the lid on. 

"Oikawa no look, listen-" Iwaizumi tried to say, but stopped when Oikawa just looked at him and smiled.

"Just forget I said anything alright Iwa-chan? I'll see you monday," He said, picking up his bag from the floor and leaving the gymnasium as Iwaizumi stared after him, unable to find anything else to say. 

Once Oikawa was far enough away, Hajime turned to the fountain and kicked it hard, leaving a large dent in the side of it about the size of his foot. He slid down the side of it as he thought about Oikawa walking away with a sad smile, and leaving him alone by the water fountain. 

•••

Iwaizumi was laid out on his stomach on the ground of Oikawa's bedroom as the latter sat against the wall atop his bed. The carpet itched his arms as he turned the page in his textbook. He really shouldn't be lying on the carpet but with Oikawa stretched out the way he was, as if purposefully trying to keep Iwaizumi off, he had no other choice. His arms itched again and this time he sat up, scratching lightly at them and watched as they turned a pale red.

"You okay Iwa-chan?" Oikawa asked from above him. Iwaizumi nodded with a grunt, deciding that sitting up would at least keep his arms from experiencing iritation. His legs would have to suffer. With his back now against the side of the bed, Iwaizumi looked up at Oikawa.

"That alien movie you wanted to see comes out tomorrow right?" He asked, watching Oikawa's eyes light up as he nods his head. It was an endearing sight, and something twisted in Iwaizumi's stomach but he kept going. "We're going to see it together yeah?"

"Oh, right I forgot to tell you, I'm going to see it with Sarah. She's never seen any of the movies from the franchise and I wanted to introduce her-" Oikawa kept talking but Iwaizumi had zoned out far away from the conversation.

After almost two years of Oikawa being with Sarah, he should be used to being blown off for her. It hadn't even been a week after Oikawa had talked to Iwaizumi that he saw them standing together at the water fountain after practice. She had been holding his hand and he was smiling brightly at her as he filled up his bottle. They were back to normal by then, but something had still curled in Iwaizumi's gut at the sight. The voice in the back of his mind had taunted that he had been right all along. That Oikawa was just innocent, naïve, that he didn't love him.

Iwaizumi was brought back to reality when he heard Oikawa call his name. His teammate looked down at him, an eyebrow raised as he waited for a response. Iwaizumi just mumbled under his breath that it was whatever and he didn't really want to see it that bad anyways before focusing his attention back on to his homework.

A few minutes passed, and Iwaizumi could feel his legs burning against the carpet. His allergy had always been the bane of his existence and proved to be even more of a nuisance as he scratched up and down his thighs. Feeling a pair of eyes on the back of his head, Iwaizumi turned around to see Oikawa staring at him.

"What?" He snapped, furrowing his eyebrows as he now scratched at the back of his calf. Oikawa sighed, standing up and reaching out a hand to pull Iwaizumi. At first he waved it off saying he was fine but Oikawa just huffed and stayed where he was.

"Iwa-chan get your ass on my bed so you don't end up with tiger legs. Though maybe they will suit you what with how imhumane you act sometimes," The setter said with a click of his tongue. Iwaizumi took his hand with a grumble, standing up before sitting back down, this time on Oikawa's soft duvet.

"Not exfoliating my skin isn't inhumane shittykawa," He responded with a glare. Oikawa just clicked his tongue again and turned around, heading for his bedroom door. 

"I'm gonna get you some cream so you can stop torturing your body. Say something next time will you?" Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and positioned himself so he was leaned up against the wall the bed was pressed against. While alone in the room, he allowed his eyes to wander around, observing it as if he hadn't been here thousands of times before. 

His eyes landed on a framed photo sitting on one of the shelves decorating the walls. The photo contained young Iwaizumi and Oikawa, no more than 8 or 9 each holding a fish up to the camera. Oikawa had a bright smile on his face, with his eyes closed, one of his teeth missing, and an arm around Iwaizumi's shoulder. Iwaizumi was smiling as well, but it was far more reserved than the boy's beside him. He had always been a shy kid, and it had been Oikawa that had brought him out of his shell. 

Iwaizumi remembered that trip clearly, and that day even clearier. It had been his own dad that had taken the two of them, claimimg 'every boy needs to fish at least once in order to learn to have patience or the things they want won't come'. So they had got up at five in the morning and drove three hours to a fishing spot his grandfather used to take his dad to when he was a boy. 

Six hours were spent out in a tiny boat in the middle of otherwise abandoned waters. Halfway through their time there, Iwaizumi found himself pulling in a fish around the size of his forearm. His dad pat him on the back, while Oikawa pouted at not having caught anything yet. Despite his discouragment, Oikawa had then jumped back up and kept trying desperately for the next three hours.

By the end of the day, Iwaizumi was sat on a dock with the large fish he had caught before, plus two smaller ones. His friend on the other hand only had a fish barely larger than his hand to his name. Oikawa frowned and grumbled as Iwaizumi's dad told them to stand with their fish for a photo. Iwaizumi of course had picked up his large fish, and Oikawa had no choice but to hold his own minature one.

"This is so embarrassing Iwa-chan!" He had whined as they stood side by side. "Now people will know that I suck at fishing!" Iwaizumi hadn't really saw the big deal at the time, but felt bad that his friend was upset. So he took the small fish away and replaced it with his large one. Oikawa looked up at him (because at this point Iwaizumi had the height advantage) with confusion.

"Nobody needs to know," Iwaizumi said with a soft smile and shrug. Oikawa had grinned ear to ear and pulled him close into a hug, exclaiming 'thank you Iwa-chan!'

One arm stayed slung around his shoulder as the photo was snapped. Iwaizumi had stared at Oikawa beaming while he looked at the big fish he had been gifted. They were walking back to truck, his father slightly ahead of the two boys when his hand had been grabbed.

"You're the best friend ever Iwa-chan. We're gonna be best friends forever!" Oikawa had declared. Blushing furiously at the attention, Iwaizumi had looked down at the ground.

"Yeah well of course dummy," He said in response, "let's go before my dad leaves here." They ran to catch up with his dad, and Iwaizumi couldn't help the warm feeling that was spreading at the announcement. He watched their arms which were swinging in between and then looked up again at his best friend grinning, and knew he would do anything to keep that smile. 

"That was a good trip eh?" Present-day-Oikawa said from the doorway, snapping Iwaizumi out of his thoughts. 

"Yeah. Cant believe you're as whiny now as you were then." Iwaizumi grinned as Oikawa put a hand of his heart.

"You wound me Iwa-chan!" He said. Another roll of the eyes from Iwaizumi had Oikawa beaming as well. Now sitting dowm beside him, Iwaizumi was passed the lotion to soothe his legs. He had nearly forgotten about them. After rubbing it all over both his legs and arms he immediately felt the burning feeling null away. 

"Better?" Oikawa asked.

"Better," Iwaizumi nodded.

"Good, let's watch something then," His teammate said, opening up his laptop from beside him.

"What about our homework?" Oikawa just shrugged in response, clicking on a movie with an interesting enough synopsis. 

"We need a break, I can't work on English any longer, I may seriously throw myself out that window," He complained as he slung his legs over Iwaizumi's own, and settled the laptop on to his lap. They leaned in close together as the movied begun. This was the closest they had been since Oikawa had started dating Sarah, and it made Iwaizumi feel warm as he thought about how things used to be.

"Earth to Iwa-chan! Where do you keep going tonight eh?" Oikawa chuckled, snapping his fingers in front of his face. Punching the other in the arm, Iwaizumi grumbled.

"Nowhere Shittykawa, just watch the movie," He responded, folding his arms over his chest. Oikawa laughed again and turned his focus to the movie. 

A boy was sipping from a water fountain as a new scene played, and despite knowing he should focus on the movie, Iwaizumi couldn't help but glance at the boy beside him and smile to himself.


	2. Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It was ugly and made his stomach churn and teeth clench. But it was unavoidable when he saw Oikawa smiling at Sarah like he smiles at Iwaizumi."

Iwaizumi felt his hand being grabbed. Felt himself moving closer to the person in front of him. His body was pressed against their's and soon his lips were being pressed against as well. Warmth spread through him as fingers intertwined beside the two of them, and the other was brought up to cup the person's cheek. Chests heaved against one another as Iwaizumi kissed them deeper and with more urgency.

"Iwa-chan," a voice breathed out as he pulled away to catch a breath, even though he didn't feel like he necessarily needed it. "Iwa-Chan," it said again, and this time Iwaizumi actually looked up at the person and was caught off guard by the familiar mop of brown hair and deep eyes. 

Iwaizumi stepped back with a soft "what," escaping his lips as he stared at the boy in front of him. A dull pain ached in his shoulder as his name was called out again, and the ground seemingly crumbled before him. 

Then Iwaizumi was back in his bed, shot straight up and panting. The ache in his shoulder was still there though and made the fuzzy remnants of his dream come back to him. "Oikawa," He whispered, looking down at his hand that had been interlocked with his best friend's. His best friend who he had just dreamt about making out with.

A tongue clicked from beside his bed and when he turned to follow the voice he saw the real Oikawa Tooru standing there with his arms behind his head. "How nice of you to finally wake up Iwa-chan! I thought I'd have to get a glass of water to get you up and out. your mom let me in and-" Oikawa kept talking, emphazing words with his hands as he did, but Iwaizumi was just staring blankly at him.

His thoughts ran rapid as he tried to come up with any excuse as to what he had just dreamt about. Iwaizumi felt dirty, felt wrong for dreaming about Oikawa like that. Momentairly he glanced down at his bed sheets then began to thank whatever gods were looking down on him for not letting his dream go any further. Iwaizumi wasn't sure he could deal with Oikawa pestering him about that this early.

The setter was still talking about his morning as Iwaizumi looked up and asked "Oikawa why the fuck are you in my room at," He paused to check the time "six in the morning?" In response to the question, Oikawa lifted the gym bag that was hanging at his side.

"Early practice, for the practice match on friday," Oikawa explained and earned a groan from Iwaizumi in response. With a soft 'thump' the Seijoh ace was laid flat on his back again, covering his own face with a pillow and gesturing for Oikawa to go away. After what had just happened, and how fast his mind was moving, he was not in the mood to get up this early, let alone go to practice. Oikawa just chuckled and began to pry away the pillow mumbling "So moody Iwa-chan."

As the pillow was pulled away, Iwaizumi responded with, "Just let me skip one practice Shittykawa," which earned another laugh from the other.

Eventually however, Iwaizumi was coaxed out of bed and out the door. Their walk to school was a comfortable silence, with only Oikawa humming a tune every once in a while to fill it. Iwaizumi let his mind wander back briefly on his dream but brushed it off quickly. He narrowed it down the the natural lonliness and need for companionship he had been told came with teen years. Maybe he just needed to find a girlfriend. 

Although he truly never had been that interested in having a girlfriend truly. When all the boys around him during his middle school years were beginning to show interest in girls, Iwaizumi had been more drawn to practicing volleyball with Oikawa. When he'd say this to anyone who would ask if he liked any girl at their school they would just laugh and say Iwaiuzmi's soulmate was volleyball. After all these years later, and zero interest in any girl he knew, Iwaizumi was beginning to believe he truly was destined to slice the first piece of cake at his wedding with a white and teal volleyball.

"What's going on in that head of your's?" Oikawa asked, breaking the silence "I can tell you're thinking hard when I smell smoke."

Iwaiuzumi punched the other's shoulder with a grumble. He definitely needrd to fix this 'spacing out' problem he seemed to have developed. 

Rubbing his arm where he had been hit, Oikawa let out a low laugh. "Seriously though Iwa-chan, is everything alright with you?" There was a level of true sincerity in Oikawa's voice now as he stopped walking, turning his head lightly to the side and reminding Iwaizumi of a puppy again. "You've been, zoning out, a lot more than usual."

Iwaizumi gulped. So Oikawa had noticed something was up with him. Not that it surprised him, his teammate was one of the most observant people he knew. He knew when Kindaichi liked a girl in his year based on the way he stood during practice, and when Iwaizumi had failed a test because of how he spiked the ball that day. So of course he'd notice Iwaizumi being more "spacey", a trait he usually did not have. 

Instead of spilling the reason that he had been fighting his own brain all morning was because he had almost had a sex dream about his best friend, he responded with, "I'm worried about us being late and coach biting our heads off. So let's keep moving alright?" and kept walking ahead. 

"Alright mr. Bossy," Oikawa hummed in response and followed beside him. The rest of their walk to school, Iwaizumi could feel Oikawa's eyes on the side of his head. He didn't say anything about it though and neither did the other.

...

"Hanamaki! wake up and start recieving some damn balls!" Coach Irihata called out. Hanamaki ducked his head, responding with a 'yes coach' before getting back into position. 

Their team was currently divided into a series of three on three games throughout the gym. Iwaizumi had wound up on a team with Oikawa and Kunimi, and were currently facing Hanamaki, Kindaichi and Yahaba. They were playing in a circuit like fashion, where the losing team would move on to the next team to face them. So far Iwaizumi's team hadn't had to move once in the two rotations they'd gone through. 

"Come on Hanamaki wakey shakey!" Iwaiuzmi heard Oikawa chirp from behind him at the serving line. When the coach wasn't looking Hanamaki stuck up an agressive finger at Oikawa and told him to shove it which then sent Oikawa into a fit of laughter. "So so defensive." Tossing the ball into the air as he spoke, Oikawa sent the ball flying over the net and hard down on to the ground. This sent Hanamaki into spewing out further curses at their team captain, and Iwaizumi couldn't help but laugh.

Their practice ended at 8:00, twenty minutes before the first bell would ring for school. This gave them some time to change out of their sweaty clothes, shower, and get into their uniforms. Apparently, this also gave Oikawa time to go talk to his girlfriend, whom Iwaiuzmi hadn't even noticed standing there and watching the end of their practice. 

They were standing beside the gym's water fountain, Sarah's hands around Oikawa's neck as she laughed at something he said. She was now standing up on her tip-toes, and whispering something up into his ear, causing Oikawa to grin and kiss her square on the lips. They were pressed together as if there was nobody else in the gym.

But Iwaizumi was there. Iwaizumi was there and looking at them with a scowl out of the corner of his eye as he picked up stray volleyballs around the gym. A pit formed in his stomach as he watched Oikawa kiss her on the lips, then on the tip of her nose, and on both her cheeks all while she giggled. His heart fell into said pit when he glanced and saw the dent in the side of the metal fountain he made two years ago. When Oikawa had-

He shut that thought out and hurried himself to the changeroom where Hanamaki and Matsukawa were still standing and chatting. Iwaizumi's head was ducked down as he pulled his uniform out from his bag and he said nothing to either of the other two as he pulled off his gym shirt and threw it a bit aggressively into his bag. 

"Why so angry Iwaizumi?" Matsukawa quiered from behind him as he zipped back up his bag. When Iwaizumi didn't respond, he kept going. "Does it have anything to do with Captain necking with Blondie out there?" 

This made Iwaizumi snap his head around, stare down Matsukawa, and ask "Why would I give a shit what Oikawa is doing with anyone?" In response Matsukawa flicked his hand and rolled his eyes, hinting at exasperation with Iwaizumi.

"Forget it. Just please find an inbetween of giving the captain heart eyes and looking like you want to rip out his guts and feed them to a snake alright?" Hanamaki spoke this time, Matsukawa snickering beside him as the two left the room. Iwaizumi was left to look after the two, opening and closing his mouth like a gaping fish. 

"Iwa-chan there you are! I-wait why do you look like that?" Oikawa had entered the changeroom now, and was crossing his arms as he stared at Iwaizumi with question.

"I look the same as usual, idiot," Iwaizumi responded with a light huff.

"Like a grumpy caveman? I agree!" That earned him a light whack on the back of the head, causing a chuckle. "Anyway, at lunch do you want to go to the roof?"

"Don't you spend your lunches now with Sarah?" Oikawa shifted his feet with unease at the question.

"Well I felt like I haven't been getting enough quality Iwa-chan time!" He exclaimed, and threw one arm around Iwaizumi with a grin. "Whaddya say?"

Iwaizumi couldn't help a ghost of a smile form on his lips. He knew he should be a little more angry. Angry that only now has ne noticed that Iwaizumi was put on the back burner in Oikawa's mind. Angry that it took months for him to give up some time from his precious girlfriend to spend lunch with his bestfriend of twelve years.

Jealousy. That's what Iwaizumi felt. It was ugly and made his stomach churn and teeth clench. But it was unavoidable when he saw Oikawa smiling at Sarah like he smiles at Iwaizumi. Or throw his arm around her shoulder the same way he is now to Iwaizumi. It's a rotten feeling and he hated it. 

However, Iwaizumi is only human. So now at the offer, he couldn't help but feel a small victory. 

"Yeah, sure alright stinkykawa." This time when Oikawa grins, Iwaizumi lets his ghost of a smile spread farther. 

...

Lunchtime felt like it took an eternity to arrive. Iwaizumi had hardly been able to focus in any of his classes. He kept staring up at the clock in anticipation. Though to anyone else it would've looked like just passive glances. 

Come lunchtime, he tried his best to look calm and collected as he briskly walked through the hallway and to the outside. It wasn't like it would be any different than any lunch they had spent in their first and second year, and Iwaizumi had no plans of making it seem like anything more than that. But truly, he was excited to spend time with his friend like they used to. 

"About time! Hurry up im starving!" Oikawa shouted to him as Iwaizumi gripped the last rung of the ladder and yanked himself up on to the roof. The setter sat there, parallel to the ladder, knees up to his chest. 

Iwaizumi plopped himself down beside Oikawa, tugging out his lunchbox and opening it up. Silently he passed a package of Milkbread to the other, who lit up at the sight of it.

"For me? Iwa-chan I'm flattered!"

"Don't be. I don't even like it. Too sweet."

"But that's what makes it so good!" Oikawa argued with a hum of delight as he took a bite. 

They chatted about everything and anything. How Iwaizumi had got stuck with a kid he didn't like for an important project. How Oikawa had stayed up till 2:00am the previous night watching a rerun of one of his sci-fi movies (Iwaizumi scolded him only halfheartedly for it, knowing it wouldn't change anything). 

The atmosphere was comfortable as they sat almost side to side. Iwaizumi hummed with content as Oikawa went on about an assignment he was destined to fail for some reason. Truthfully Iwaizumi had stopped listening in favour of thinking about how this, this is what he missed. No girls, no stress, just them.

He felt warmth in his chest as Oikawa stopped talking and just looked at Iwaizumi with a smile that seemed reserved only for him. It was gentle and real. Perfect, his mind supplied him. However cheesy it sounded he supposed it was true.

Though it seemed all perfect moments had to end. Because suddenly Oikawa's phone was ringing. 

"Hey hun. No I'm with Iwa-Iwaizumi right now. Oh-uhm yeah I can come. Yes no of course honey! I'll be there in a minute. See you in a second, buh-bye." Oikawa sighed as he hung up the phone and looked towards Iwaizumi.

"That was Sarah, apparently she's having trouble with math and needs my help before a test." Oikawa's eyes held pity as he apologized profusely and begun to pack up his things. Iwaizumi assured him it was fine despite his sinking heart and clenched teeth.

They climbed down the ladder back to ground level. There, Iwaizumi spotted a head of blonde hair bouncing towards them. 

"Tooru! Thank you so much! The formulas just aren't sticking!" Sarah explained, looking slightly frantic. She turned to Iwaizumi and smiled apologetically at him. "Iwaizumi I'm really sorry to have to pull him away. None of my friends understand it either and my teacher is sick and-" Iwaizumi waved his hand.

"It's fine. I'll see you later then Oikawa," He said, allowed his jaw to unclench. No matter how hard it was to admit, he couldn't hate Sarah. She was nice and seemed strong willed. It was no surprise his best friend had chosen her. 

Still, when they said their goodbyes, and Iwaizumi watched them walk away hand in hand, any warmth from earlier was wiped away. As he stuffed his hands in his pockets and dragged his feet to his next class, that small sense of victory from earlier was completely faded away.

Iwaizumi knew now, he had lost.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> This is my first Haikyuu fic so i hope everyone enjoys!!  
> Feel free to leave a comment and kudos are always appreciated   
> Enjoy!  
> Xx


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